The correct answer is: C. Symbiosis
Symbiosis is a close relationship between two or more organisms of different species that live together. There are three types of symbiosis: mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism.
- Mutualism is a type of symbiosis in which both organisms benefit from the relationship. For example, a type of algae lives in the tissues of coral polyps. The algae provides the coral with food, and the coral provides the algae with a safe place to live.
- Commensalism is a type of symbiosis in which one organism benefits from the relationship, while the other organism is not harmed or benefited. For example, barnacles often attach themselves to whales. The barnacles benefit from the whale’s transportation, while the whale is not harmed by the barnacles.
- Parasitism is a type of symbiosis in which one organism benefits from the relationship, while the other organism is harmed. For example, a tapeworm lives in the intestines of a human. The tapeworm benefits from the human’s food, while the human is harmed by the tapeworm.
Species diversity is the variety of different species that live in a particular area. Symbiosis is one of the processes that can increase species diversity. For example, when two species form a mutualistic relationship, they are both more likely to survive and reproduce. This can lead to an increase in the number of individuals of each species, as well as the number of different species in the area.
Predation, mitosis, and meiosis are not processes that account for species diversity. Predation is a type of interaction in which one organism (the predator) kills and eats another organism (the prey). Mitosis is a type of cell division that results in two daughter cells that are genetically identical to the parent cell. Meiosis is a type of cell division that results in four daughter cells that are each half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell.